Do I need to visit a nutritionist to discuss these results?Once you have received you results, we advise you to see a nutritionist registered with the British Association for Nutritional Therapy (BANT), who will advise you how to eliminate foods from your diet and which foods you should substitute to ensure that you do not result in any nutritional deficiencies. They may also offer support and encouragement with regular progress checks, as it can be quite a daunting task sticking to a new diet on your own. Check their website for more details www.BANT.org.uk. You can also consult the CNS Dietary Support Booklet (provided with your Foodprint report).

I have a lot of positive results, how do I cut out everything?If you have a lot of positive results, it can be a very daunting task trying to cut out everything whilst maintaining a nutritionally well balanced diet. In these cases, we recommend you visit a nutritionist who will help you to avoid the foods with a strong positive response, and to rotate the foods with a lower positive result.

What do the borderline foods mean?The borderline foods are slightly above the normal values and ideally should be reduced to a minimum in your diet. Therefore, we recommend that you rotate those foods showing a borderline result, once every 4 days if possible.

What does it mean if I have lots of positive results?Potentially, you may have a condition known as ‘Leaky Gut’. You should consult a nutritionist registered with BANT who will be able to give you advice on how to deal with this condition.www.BANT.org.uk

Do I have to avoid these foods for the rest of my life?No. Once you have avoided those foods for at least 3 months, and you have noticed an improvement in your symptoms, then you can start to gradually introduce the foods back into your diet. You should introduce one food at a time, with an interval of 4 days before trying another food. If you do not notice the return of any symptoms, then you can continue to include that food in your diet on an occasional basis. You may find a food and symptom diary useful whilst re-introducing foods. If you do not notice any improvement after 3 months, then you can assume that this food is not responsible for your symptoms.

If I avoid foods that show a high IgG reading, how long will it take before the IgG level returns to a normal level?Over time, the concentration of IgG antibodies to that particular food will gradually decrease. The half life of IgG in the blood stream is approximately 23 days. However, antigens that have been stored in the liver may be slowly released over several months, resulting in some persistent antibody production. The levels, however, will decline gradually, barring any new exposure.

Do I have to eliminate that particular food completely from my diet in order to reduce my symptoms, or can I still have a little occasionally?The most effective course of action is to eliminate the food completely. As long as exposure is maintained, antibodies will continue to be produced and the immune system primed to react. Exposure to foods of the same food family should also be avoided.

I started to avoid foods from my diet, and now I feel a lot worse, is this normal?This is a normal reaction for many people in the first few days after excluding a food or foods, due to ‘withdrawal-type’ symptoms. It is quite common to feel worse for a few days, but this phase soon passes and an improvement is usually noticed after a week or two.

Do I need to have a re-test after a few months?Most people do not need to have a re-test, but if you would like another test we usually advise a period of 12 months in between tests. If your symptoms have improved and you have been able to successfully re-introduce the foods, then a re-test is unnecessary.

If I have been avoiding foods from my diet but would like them tested, how long should I introduce them before the test?You should introduce a portion of these foods into your diet for at least 7 days before taking the blood sample. However, if you experience severe symptoms as a consequence, you should immediately stop eating them and assume that you are still intolerant to them.

Why do I feel sometimes feel better after immediately eating a food that I am supposed to avoid?Some people find that they feel better for a short while after eating foods to which they react to however, if they continue to eat those foods, the symptoms return. Eating more of the food once again brings relief, creating a vicious cycle of addiction that is difficult to break. This can be overcome by strictly eliminating the reactive food for a minimum of 3 months.

Do I need to avoid foods from the same food family? It is recommended that if you test positive for a particular food, then you should avoid all other members of that food family unless tested negative.

I have been told to eliminate a particular food from my diet, but have not eaten it for years, why do I have a positive result?This is because either a) you have eaten that food hidden in other foods (it is very important to check ingredients labels carefully); or b) you have eaten foods within the same food family and these are causing antibody production.